The crack of the bat. The thud
of a ball hitting the glove. The called third strike of an umpire. Who among us
hasn’t relished the smells, sights and sounds of our national pastime, whether
hitting a single for your alma mater, boldly stealing second at a Memorial Day
picnic or messily snacking on Cracker Jacks and hot dogs post-game during your
days as a little league player. But unfortunately for plenty of youngsters,
home base couldn’t be farther away.

However,
nothing could keep one formidable youth in Atlanta from the game. In the late
’90s, Michael, a 7-year-old in a wheelchair, cheered on his 5-year-old brother
at every one of his games, even though he couldn’t play himself. The team made
adjustments so Michael could join in, and the league’s heightened awareness of
a problem — those with disabilities being denied something as American as apple
pie — eventually led to the creation of the Miracle League in 2000.

On May
1, 2013, ground was broken in Bicentennial Park, site of Southlake’s first
Miracle League field scheduled to be completed by 2014. Famous faces dotting
the crowd included Texas Rangers stars Ian Kinsler and Elvis Andrus, the team’s
general manager Jon Daniels, Texas Ranger Hall of Famer Jim Sundberg and
Southlake Mayor John Terrell. They all joined Miracle League of Southlake
President Phillip Meyer for the beginning stages of their mission to ensure that
all area children will be able to participate in our proud tradition of
baseball.

Making of a Miracle

The organization’s creation
could be called, for lack of a better word, miraculous. The first Miracle
League field opened 13 years ago in Atlanta. Wheelchair-bound Michael’s
participation in the sport led a local baseball association to create a team
for several other handicapped children. When the association discovered that
there were more than 75,000 children in the Atlanta metro area with
disabilities who could not join any team sports, they enlisted the aid of local
corporations and volunteers, breaking ground on the city’s Miracle League
complex in late 1999. It opened four months later with a roster of 120 players.
A boy who had been in a coma only one week beforehand threw the first pitch.

Two
years later, the roster more than doubled, and parents began to realize that
not only did the Miracle League provide a way for their children to play
baseball, but it also allowed them to spend time just being normal kids. They were
able to engage in physical activity, cheer one another on and form friendships
that might not have been possible otherwise. The players, who have autism,
Down’s syndrome, vision impairments and other physical challenges, play on a
rubberized field with painted base paths and bases designed to prevent injuries
and guarantee that wheelchairs and walkers are no obstacle;
wheelchair-accessible dugouts are also built together with each field. Today,
the Miracle League has expanded to include at least 250 organizations across
the country and around the world, including Canada, Puerto Rico and Australia.

In
2004, Doug Inman, a prominent Arlington-based business entrepreneur in the
medical-instrument field, became deeply touched by what he had seen and heard
of the Miracle League on television. He called it a “spiritual experience” and
spoke to his close friend, Jim Sundberg, about how to bring it to the DFW area.

“Doug approached me about looking at a film,” Sundberg said.
“So I went to his house, and he popped in a Miracle League video. He was in
tears watching it, and he impressed upon me the need for a local field. It’s
because of Doug’s vision that we are where we are today.” Inman, who passed
away in 2007 from melanoma, raised an initial $400,000 to construct the
Metroplex’s first Miracle League field on land donated by the City of Arlington
at Randol Mill Park, and the field was completed in 2006. Two additional fields
in Frisco and Irving (which opened in 2006and 2009, respectively) were also built before the plan was put in motion
to create a field in Southlake.

Field of Dreams

The seed of the dream of
bringing the Miracle League to Southlake was first planted in 2009 when
longtime resident Meyer, much like Inman, became inspired by the league’s
mission. He read about the Miracle League of Arlington’s buddy program in his
Sunday newspaper and knew he wanted to join. Every Miracle League player is
assigned a buddy during games to assist, cheer and make sure he or she stays
safe moving from base to base. Meyer, a vice president and investment associate
at Merrill Lynch, wanted to be a part of a different kind of charity, and
Miracle League was just that.

“I’d
spent so much time on corporate boards and wanted to do something outside the
box and outside of my comfort zone,” he said. “I don’t know anyone who is
disabled, so it was very different for me. Being around those children who are
handicapped but can still play baseball was such a unique and positive
experience.” Meyer had been volunteering as a Miracle League buddy in Arlington
for under a year when he was met face-to-face with a health problem that restricted
his own mobility. A routine surgery to remove a tumor in his cheek led to a
more serious discovery.

“During
the recovery process, they found that I had a blood disorder,” he said. “I
spent six months going to UT Southwestern Medical Center, having to go through
infusions and transfusions. This was going to limit my physical activity, so I
wanted something to replace golf.” Meyer reached out to the national Miracle
League about founding a Southlake chapter. He also met with Jim Sundberg’s
daughter Bri, who serves as the director of marketing and development for the
Miracle League of DFW, and was put in touch with Mike Mills, also a Southlake
resident and noted area baseball coach.

“We then met with John Slocum,
who’s on the Southlake Parks and Recreation board, and the city's plans for
Bicentennial Park just collided perfectly with our vision of what we wanted to
do,” Meyer said. “Our other option had
been to either go out and buy land or try to get a donation from the
corporation. But Bicentennial Park is the perfect location.”

Southlake’s
first park, Bicentennial was acquired by the city in 1970 and developed by the
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Back then, it covered just 10 acres of
land. As the years went on it continued to grow, and by May of 2000 it had swelled
to 76 acres with its last land acquisition given by former city councilmember
Ralph Evans. In 2007, the city decided to give Bicentennial Park a massive
makeover, and the award-winning first phase was finished in September 2011 with
the completion of the Pinto and Mustang baseball fields.

“They are straight out of the movie Field of Dreams,”
Terrell said. “They have certainly set the stage for what is to come in the
next phase of improvements, including the Texas Rangers Miracle League Field
and the new 1.3-acre, all-inclusive custom playground.” The playground will
also incorporate a fourplex, new concession and restroom facility, a park
boulevard connection to White’s Chapel Boulevard and walking trails for anyone
who wants to go exploring.

“We are blessed and excited that our dream for a premier and
nostalgic park is being realized,” Terrell adds. “We’ve waited a long time for
this day, and there’s been a lot of planning that has gone into this.”

Lemons Into Lemonade

Meyer, whose daughter, Addie,
was part of the duo who sang the national anthem during the groundbreaking
ceremony, calls the evolution of the Miracle League of Southlake a
lemon-into-lemonade story, and that couldn’t be closer to the truth. The
support from the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation, led by Sundberg as its
president, provided much-needed assistance in getting the plans off the ground.
Ian Kinsler, the Rangers’ star second-baseman, said he was happy to help an
organization that brings baseball to children who love to play but might not
have access to the sport.

“That’s
the cool thing about the Rangers Foundation,” he said. “We give kids, whether
they’re inner city or special needs, the opportunity to play. To bring that joy
to them is really cool. Our foundation’s main goal is to help out children, and
obviously we’re a baseball organization, so it always goes back to that.
Anytime baseball’s involved, I like to be around.”

Sundberg,
who received nodding heads of agreement from the audience at the groundbreaking
when he called Ian and superstar shortstop Elvis Andrus — who recently signed
an eight-year, $120 million contract extension— “the best double play combination in the major leagues,” was in
awe of the turnout. His voice was fraught with emotion as he conveyed just how
meaningful the day was to everyone who helped and everyone who calls Southlake
home.

“The
Miracle League is not only about partnership, but it’s also about friendship,
and friendship is really extending a hand of support and encouragement to one
another,” Sundberg said. “I consider everyone who’s a part of this a partner
and a friend. The Miracle League is a true experience when the parents of these
kids get to go and watch them play. It’s a big part of their life.”

The
Miracle League of Southlake, which received a $100,000 donation from the Texas
Rangers Baseball Foundation, has been so successful that before a shovel was
even put into the ground, every sponsorship spot filled up. Along with the support
of the Rangers, sponsors include Gamestop, the Kim Miller Group (as part of the
Keller Williams Luxury Group), and Classic Chevrolet as the scoreboard sponsor.

“It’s
quite amazing, the support we’ve received,” Meyer said. “This will absolutely
be a centerpiece for the city of Southlake.”

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

The kids on hand to see the
field of their dreams come to life included Sam Klein, Brandon Thompson, Amber
McDonald and Asa Gutierrez. Just like on game days, they were all smiles, even
stopping to sign autographs for their own adoring fans, including Kinsler. When
Southlake pastor Bob Mason prayed over the new field, his poetic words
resonated with every parent in attendance.

“I travel all over the world on a regular basis,” he said.
“We do work with orphanages and children who have gone through tsunamis,
earthquakes and hurricanes in Haiti, South Africa and Southeast Asia. When I
see God’s hand helping those children, I am so deeply moved and blessed, just
as I am for this event.” The groundbreaking was a true family affair — Sundberg
lit up as he expressed how much he loves working alongside his daughter Bri,
and Meyer echoed how much time, effort and dedication she puts into her job.

“Two years ago, Bri came into my life, and if anyone
knows Bri, they know she’s a force to be reckoned with,” he said. “One thing
you don’t ever do is mess with her Miracle League kids.” Upon its completion,
the Texas Rangers Miracle League Field will become a sanctuary where players can
bat, run the bases, play the outfield and form lifelong memories, just like Sundberg
dreamed about when he was a kid.

“When
I was growing up, I can always remember wanting to be a Major League baseball
player,” he said. “I wanted to play baseball. I grew up across from a ballpark
and was in the field every day. My dad drove me several times during the year,
180 miles to watch the Cubs play. To be on the field, to smell the grass, to
run around is almost American. It is American. This concept allows every kid
the opportunity to play baseball.”